South Africa is a water-scarce country. The country has an average rainfall of mm, which is half the world average and there is also a very high evaporation rate. Raw water availability in South Africa could, however, rapidly deteriorate as demand escalates due to both economic and population growth. In addition, there are factors which could result in a contraction of supply, such as increasing physical losses in municipal distribution systems, degradation of wetlands and the impact of climate change.
The DWS has established a Water Partnerships Office in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa and South African Local Government Association to assist municipalities to package bankable projects to take to the market, focusing on projects such as the reduction of non-revenue water and water reuse. The DWS enforces regulatory measures that ensure the provision of safe water and the effective management of wastewater.
The department planned to assess wastewater systems for compliance with the green drop regulatory requirements and water supply systems for compliance with blue drop regulations. As such, the department will consider the impact of climate change, the role of ecosystems, rainwater runoff and storage, the use of other water resources such groundwater and aquifer systems, water conservation and water demand management plans.
To improve water services, over the medium term, the department planned to ensure reliable water and sanitation services by overseeing large regional bulk infrastructure project phases and small regional infrastructure project phases. This development is a first for South Africa. The master plan identifies key actions in the water sector and allocates roles and responsibilities to all in the water sector, from the various tiers of government, the private sector and other stakeholders for the implementation of the plan.
It will also address the enabling requirements, such as the institutional and legal arrangements for implementation, operation and maintenance, funding requirements and models, and monitoring and evaluation models. The NWRIA is expected to leverage large-scale investments in national water resource infrastructure that are required to ensure that South Africa has sufficient bulk water supply now and in future.
